Three Hostages Freed and Returned to Israel Amid Ongoing Hamas Ceasefire Agreement – One America News Network
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
9:15 AM – Saturday, February 15, 2025
Three additional Israeli hostages have been freed and reunited with their families after spending 15 months in captivity.
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On Saturday, Hamas released three more Israeli hostages as a fragile ceasefire agreement remains intact.
Sagui Dekel-Chen, Iair Horn, and Sasha Troufanov were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) before being transferred to the Israeli military and subsequently returned to Israel, where they have been reunited with their loved ones.
Dekel-Chen, an Israeli American, was taken from Nir Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel near the Gaza border, on October 7th during an assault that saw over 70 individuals abducted. He is a father of three; his youngest child was born while he was in captivity.
During the attack, Dekel-Chen’s mother, Neomit Dekel-Chen, and several neighbors were also taken hostage. Reports from Israeli news sources indicate that she managed to escape from an electric cart heading towards Gaza when Israeli helicopters engaged the militants.
“Our Sagui is home. A friend, son, partner, and most importantly, a father has returned,” the Dekel-Chen family expressed in a statement.
“Our hearts break for everything he missed, but now he’s here, unlike many others,” they continued, urging for the release of the remaining hostages.
Horn was also captured at Nir Oz along with his brother Eitan, who was visiting for the weekend. Horn, born in Israel, had spent his upbringing in Argentina before returning as an adult.
Troufanov, a dual citizen of Russia and Israel, was visiting family in Nir Oz on October 7th when he was also abducted. His father was killed, and his mother, grandmother, and girlfriend were taken hostage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement welcoming the safe return of the three hostages to Israel.
“This week, Hamas attempted once again to breach the agreement and fabricate a false crisis with unfounded claims,” the Prime Minister stated.
In total, 369 Palestinian detainees were released in exchange.
The remaining hostages are expected to be released in small groups each Sunday as the ceasefire deal advances.
Close to 100 hostages remain in Gaza, and it is currently uncertain how many of them are still alive.
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